Breech mechanism.



N0. 795,221. PATENTED JULY 18. 1905.

S. A. S. HAMMAR. BRBBGH, MECHANISM. Armoulon rum) JULY 1a.19o1

4 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

- aowonloz PATENTED JULY 18, 1905.

S. A. S; HAMMAR. BREBGH MECHANISM.

APILIOATION FILED JULY 16.1901.

4 SHEETS-$3331 -2 PATENTED JULY 18, 1905. MMAR. HANISM.

' S. A. 8. HA

V BREBGH MEG APPLICATION min {1% 6W1 3%; 6mm

No. 795,221. PATBNTED JULY 18, 1905. S. A. S. HAMMAR.

BREBGH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION rum) JULY 16,1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

auwenugo um m. n mnull Imam vnsmmou. m c

NITED Spares Patented July 18, 1905.

ATENT Price.

SIGARD A. S. HAMMAR, OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVA- NIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

BREECH MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 795,221, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed July 16 1901. Serial No. 68,523.

' To all whom, it nuty concern/.-

Be it known that I, SIGARD A. S. HAMMAR, a subject of the King of Sweden and Norway, residing at Bethlehem, in the county of N orthampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the breech mechanism of guns; and it consists in the construction of the firing mechanism and in the means for supporting and operating the same and for securing the breech-block, as fully set forth hereinafter and as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional plan of the breech of a gun provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation; Fig. 3, a detached sectional view of the support for the firing mechanism; Fig. 4, a detached view of adetent; Fig. 5, a detached plan of the breech-block; Fig. 6, a detached view of the firing-pin. Fig. 7 is a perspective of the sleeve of the detent detached.

Upon the breech-block carrier of the gun is secured a support which carries the entire firing-gear and is connected to and may, if desired, be integral with the carrier. Preferably, however, it is detachable therefrom. The hub of the support also supports the breech-block. As shown, the support consists of a hub 1 and a block 2, and the block 2 lies against the outside of the breech-block carrier 3, the hub projecting through a threaded recess or opening 00 in the carrier and being introduced therein by screwing until the face of the block 2 bears against the rear face of the carrier. The exterior of the hub 1 has threads 4 adapted to threads in the socket of the breech-block 5, as well as to those in the openingin the carrier. It will be understood, however, that the hub may extend through an opening in the carrier without being screwed thereto, the block being bolted or otherwise fastened to the carrier.

While the firing-gear may be of any suitable construction, I prefer to make the same so that the entire firing mechanism may be carried by the hub 1 to be retained in connection therewith when the hub is withdrawn, so that such withdrawal is not accompanied in any way with the disconnection of any parts of the firing-gear from the hub itself while exposing the same to view for inspection or manipulation, as desired.

The hub 1 and blockfl are socketed for the reception of the firingpin 6, between the shoulder 7 of which and a shoulder 8 of the hub is interposed the firing-spring 9. The firing-pin slides in a socket in the block 2 and projects to the rear and is provided with an eye y, through which the finger may be passed for cooking. The block 2 has a recess 20 for receiving the lockingdevice or detent which holds the firing-pin in its cocked position. This detent may be of different constructions, but as shown it consists of a hollow sleeve 10, sliding in the recess 11; and moved inward under the action of a spring 12, hearing against one end of the recess w. In connection with the sleeve, which constitutes a part of the sear, is an L- shaped member a, Fig. 4, the shank 14 of which extends through the sleeve 10, while the arm 15 extends into a slot a cut in one side of the hub 1.. The end of the shank 14: of the detent extends through an opening in the block 2 and is provided with an eye t, to which the lanyard may be attached. The inner end of the sleeve 10 is forked or provided with lugs 39, Fig. 7, adapted to extend on opposite sides of the firing-pin, so that when the firing-pin is retracted the lugs engage shoulders 40 thereon and the only means fol-retracting the sleeve to release the firing-pin is the withdrawal of the member a. This can only be eifected when the arm 15 is opposite slots m 00 in the breechblock and the block-carrier 3. The arm 15 is always opposite the slot w in the carrier, but is only opposite the slot m in the breech-block when the latter has been turned home to its proper position for firing, when the two slots will coincide and the member a may be drawn out, the arm 15 passing into the slots and the end of the sleeve 10 passing away from the lanyard.

shoulders s of the firing-pin, releasing the latter and allowing it to move inward under the action of the spring 9. When the arm 15 enters the slot 97?, it prevents further rotation of the breech-block.

In many instances it is desirable to release the detent by means of a lanyard passing forward to the side of the gun instead of extending directly laterally or to the rear. To permit this to be done, I combine with the de tent an actuating device of any suitable character, the movement of which will retract the detent and release the firing pin, and with this device I connect an arm 17 at such an angle that the lanyard may extend forward therefrom. If desired, this arm may be arranged so as to clear the other parts, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, or it may be in a lower position, (shown in full lines,) in which case there is a channel or opening 19, made in the hinge of the carrierfor the forward passage of the It will be obvious that this arm may be arranged below instead of above the firing-pin.

In many instances it is desirable to cock the firing-pin automatically, and I therefore provide the following means for securing this result, (see Figs. 5 and 6:) Upon the rear end of the breech-block is a slope 30 and upon the firing-pin, Fig. 6, is an arm having a bearing end or shoulder 31, against which as the breech-block is turned is brought the face of the said slope, whereby the continued rotation will force back the firing-pin until it is secured by the detent. The breech-block is also secured by a latch b, which is provided with guide-ribs 33, adapted to grooves in the carrier 3, permitting the latch to slide at right angles or radially to the axis of the breechblock and carrier, being thrown inward by a spring 34. From the outer end of the latch extends diagonally the finger 35, adapted to an angular slot or recess 36 in the breech. As the carrier is moved toward the. breech theend of the finger 35 enters the recess, and the continued pressure of the carrier toward the breech, bringing the inclined faces of the finger and recess together, results in forcing the finger outward and fully into the recess, as shown in Fig. l. The breech-block in firing position prevents theinward movement of the latch b, but in the rear of the breech-block is a recess .2, Fig. 2, which when the breech-block is turned so as to be in position for withdrawal from the breech is opposite the inner end of the latch b, which is moved into such recess .2 as the carrier is swung away, the breech-block being thereby locked in its proper position in the carrier 3 and held in that position until the breech is again closed, when the latch will be automatically carried to the position shown in Fig. 1 and withdrawn from the recess a, permitting the breech-block to be again turned to its firing position. Whether the breech be closed or open the support can be detached from the carrier by simply rotating the same to withdraw it from the socket in the carrier, when all of the parts of the firing-gear will be detached from the gun and will be maintained in position for inspection, adjustment, or repair, and without any opportunity for the loss of any loose or detached pieces. The socket which receives the finger 35of the latch is provided with a detachable cover 37, secured by one or more bolts 38 or otherwise and which practically constitutes the outer Wall of thesockct receiving the finger 35, so that by detaching the cover there is no obstacle to the outward movement of the said finger to permit the carrier to be swung away when this becomes necessary without turning the breech-block. This assumes the support to have been withdrawn.

It will be evident that the sliding sleeve acting as a sear to hold the firing-pin in its retracted position, may be used in connection with other forms of firing mechanism than the form herein shown, as also may some of the other parts of the construction. It will be seen that the use of such a sear, which may be in the form of any part independent of the lanyard-stem, insures the locking of the firing pin independent of any action of the lanyardoperating stem, so that the tampering with the latter will have no effect in releasing the firing mechanism until all of the parts are in such position that the said stem can be properly manipulated.

By making the device in two parts it will be seen that there can be no possible release of the firing mechanism during the opening and closing of the gun. When the firing-pin is drawn back, lugs 40 thereon come against inclines 41 on the lugs 39 of the sleeve 10 and force the sleeve back until the lugs 39 pass in front of the shoulders 40.

Any suitable means may be employed for turning the breech-block on the hubas, for instance, a lever M and link N, (not herein claimed,) the threads on the hub and breechblock being at the proper angle to give the breech-block the desired longitudinal motion in looking and unlocking the breech.

Without limiting myself to the construction of parts shown, I claim 1. The combination with the breech-block and the breech-block carrier, of a support provided with a hub adapted to pass through a recess in the carrier and into the breech-block and to support said block and the entire firing-gear, and means for securing the parts in position, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the carrier having a threaded opening therein, of a support for the firing mechanism having a threaded hub adapted to said opening, and a breech-block having a threaded socket adapted to said hub, the threads of the breech-block and hub being at the proper angle to give the breech-block IIO the desired motion to the rear or forward in unlocking and locking the breech, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the carrier having a threaded opening therein, of a support provided with a threaded hub adapted to said opening, a breech-block having a threaded socket adapted to said support, the threads of the breech-block and hub being at the proper angle to give the block the desired motion in looking and unlocking the breech, and a firing-gear carried entirely by said support, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the rotatable breech-block, the carrier therefor, and the support provided with a hub adapted to pass through the carrier and into the breech-block to support the latter, of afiring-pin, its spring, a movable member having an arm, and a detent movable with said arm, the breech-block and the carrier having recesses which must be brought into proper relative position to receive said arm to permit the withdrawal of the detent, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the carrier, and the rotatable breech-block, each having a recess, of a firing-pin, a detent, a movable member having a laterally-projecting arm adapted to enter said recesses when the breech-block is in firing position, the detent adapted to engage and lock the firing-pin in its cocked position and to be disengaged therefrom by the movement of said arm, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the rotatable breech-block, and the carrier therefor, of a support provided with a hub having a recess in one side and adapted to pass through the carrier into the breech-block to support the latter, a firing-pin in the hub, a detent in the support, and a movable member having a laterally-projecting arm adapted to occupy the recess in the hub and to prevent the movable member from being shifted to move the detent to release the pin when the breech-block is out of firing position while allowing the independent outward movement of the detent in cooking the pin, substantially as set forth.

7 The combination with the firing-pin, having shoulders 40, and the sliding sear adapted to engage said shoulders, of the shank 14 sliding within said scar and provided with a projecting arm, and a rotating breech-block provided with a recess for receiving said arm when the parts are in position for firing, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the carrier, the rotatable breech-block having an inclined bearing on its rear face, the support having a'hub extending through thecarrier and into the breech-block to support the latter, a firingpin provided with a shoulder adapted to engage said bearing, and a detent for holding the pin in its cocked position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SIGARD A. SVHAMMAR.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. FOSTER, W. CLARENCE DUVALL. 

